Ingredients

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• 3 garlic cloves
• peeled
• crushed
• 2 large red chillies
• finely chopped
• 2 tsp sugar
• 8 chicken thighs
• bone and skin removed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 200g/7oz vermicelli rice noodles
• 2 cucumbers
• halved and thinly sliced
• small handful fresh mint leaves
• 4 spring onions
• sliced finely
• 2 tbsp cashews
• crushed

Directions

• For the spicy chicken thighs
• whisk the fish sauce
• pepper
• garlic
• chillies and sugar together in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl
• pour half the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Reserve the rest of the marinade.
• For cucumber and cashew salad
• make a dressing by adding the lime juice and sugar to the reserved marinade
• stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• In a heat-proof bowl
• cover the vermicelli with boiling water and leave for a minute or so until the noodles have softened.
• Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Mix the drained noodles in a large bowl with the cucumber
• mint
• spring onions
• cashews and the dressing until well combined.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade
• shaking off any excess. Fry the chicken thighs in the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side
• or until cooked through. (You may have to do this in batches.)
• To serve
• divide the cucumber and cashew salad among four plates
• slice the chicken and place alongside.